Support locking means for extensible table leaf



May 17, 1955 R. c. PAREDES SUPPORT LOCKING MEANS FOR EXTENSIBLE TABLE LEAF Filed Dec. 4, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .BENE C. R42EOEs,

INVEN TOR.

May 17, 1955 R; c. PAREDES SUPPORT LOCKING MEANS FOR EXTENSIBLE TABLE LEAF Filed Dec. 4, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RENE 6' 12125055, V JNVEN TOR.

ATTOQNEX United States Patent SUPPORT LOCKING MEANS FOR EXTENSIBLE TABLE LEAF Rene C. Parades, Monterey Park, Calif. Application December 4, 1953, Serial No. 396,177 2 Claims. (Cl. 311-55) This invention relates generally to furniture construction and particularly describes a novel structure for slidable extensible leaves provided in certain types of' tables.

Sliding leaves for extending the length of tables have been proposed in the past but prior structures have been subject to certain disadvantages in operation which it is the principal object of the present invention to avoid. By the construction hereinafter disclosed table leaves, when not in use, are carried immediately beneath the end portion of the table proper. When it is desired to increase the useable area of the table by supplementing it with the area of a leaf, the leaf is withdrawn longitudinally of the table. The latter portion of such withdrawal causes, by mechanism characteristic of the present invention, the withdrawal table leaf to rise into its proper position coplanar with the top of the table proper.

Self-engageable manually releasable resilient means are provided for locking the several parts in position for supporting the withdrawn leaf in its extended or raised position. Return of the table leaf to its normal or compact position is easily accomplished by manually releasing the resilient locking means. The table leaf is then moved downwardly and inwardly back to its original position underlying the marginal area of the table proper. Raising and subsequent lowering of the table leaf into and out of its extended position coplanar with the table top is accomplished in the presently illustrated form of the invention by means of a transverse support bar pivotally connected to the substructure for rotation about a horizontal axis and adapted to abut longitudinal support arms connected to and supporting the table leaf. These support arms are slidable upon suitable transverse members of the supporting substructure and may desirably be received in guiding grooves formed in such transverse members. An object of the present invention is therefore to disclose a novel extensible leaf construction for tables of the type wherein the leaves are always carried as part of the complete table structure.

Another object of the invention is to disclose an extensible leaf construction including movable transverse support bar connected to the table substructure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the class described including flexible connecting means between a withdrawable table leaf and a transverse cross bar supporting the table leaf in extended or raised position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a table including an extensible leaf supported in raised position by a pivotally mounted support bar and including manually releasable locking means for retaining the support bar in locked position.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an extensible table leaf construction having the above characteristics and advantages, the construction being simple and reliable in operation and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These and allied objects and purposes of the invention 2,708,614 Patented May 17, 1955 2 will be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in accordance with the aecompanyin g drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a table embodying the present invention, the extensible leaves being shown in compact or inoperative positions.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same table as shown in Fig. 1 with the extensible leaves withdrawn into extended or operative positions coplanar with the table top.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane Ill-III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on plane lV-IV of Fig. 2, certain parts being shown in intermediate position in dotted outline.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of a preferred form of locking means of the present invention as seen in Fig. 4, certain parts being shown in dotted outline during their movement from operative to inoperative positions.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the table with one leaf in extended position and the other leaf in compact or normal position.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, partially in section, taken on plane VII-VII of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a table indicated generally at 10 provided with suitable supporting legs 12 and a table top 14. As may be seen in Fig. 6, the table legs 12' may be attached to a horizontally disposed support frame made up of peripheral frame members includingsid'e rails 16'and 17 and end rails 18 and 19 the side and end rails being desirably but not necesarily arranged in rectangular form as shown.

The support frame is spaced below the table top 14. The side rails 16 and 17 have attached thereto substantially centrally of their length spacing members 11 and 13 respectively. Suitable connecting means such as screws extend through the side rails and spacing members into the lower surface of the table top 14 to retain the parts in assembled relation as shown, with the table 14 spaced above the plane of the support frame by the thickness of the spacing members 11 and 13.

Table 10 is provided with a pair of extensible leaves indicated generally at 20 and 22 respectively. With particular attention to leaf 20, this leaf is provided with. a pair of longitudinally extending support arms 24 and 26 fastened to the lower surface of the leaf by suitable fastening means 28 such as wood screws or the like (see Fig. 6). The support arms 24 and 26 are longitudinally slidable in grooves or channels 30 and 32 respectively, formed in the end rail 18 of the support frame.

The support frame may be provided with an additional transverse member 34 centrally disposed beneath the table and extending between and joined to side rails 16 and 17 and spaced from the end rails 18 and 19. Trans verse member 34 is provided with a pair of channels or grooves 36 and 38 wherein the inner ends of support arms 24 and 26 are slidably received. Desirably the channels 36 and 38 formed in the central transverse member 34 may be made wide enough to slidably accommodate not only the inner arms 24 and 26 but also the inner ends of support arms 24' and 26 which are attached to and support the opposite leaf 22. As will be readily understood, if table 10 is of substantially greater length than its width, I may provide two interior transverse members rather than the single centrally disposed transverse member 34 in order to support the inner portions of the slidable support arms.

Means are provided for raising the support arms 24 and 26 and thereby raising leaf 20 into coplanar relationship with table top 14. In the present illustrative embodiment of the invention such means include a transverse support bar indicated generally at 40 (see Figs. 3 and 4). Support bar 40 is movable from a lower inop erative position into an upper position wherein it contacts and supports the support arms 24 and 26. Desirably such movement may be accomplished by pivotal rotation of the support bar. To that end the support bar is connected to end rail 18 by hinge means indicated generally at 41 and including hinge plates 42 and 43 attached to support bar 40 and end rail 18 respectively, the plates being pivotally connected for relative rotation about a horizontal axis 45. When the table leaf 20 is in its compact or unextended position, as seen in Fig. 3, the support bar 40 is in its lower position and is spaced slightly below the support arms 24 and 26. When, however, the table leaf 20 is in its extended or operative position as seen in Fig. 4, the support bar 40 is rotated approximately 90 clockwise from its position in Fig. 3. In this raised position the surface 44 of support bar 40 (opposed to the surface to which hinge plate 42 is attached) is in abutting supporting contact with the lower surfaces of support arms 24 and 26, and the arms are in turn maintained in abutting contact with the lower surface of table top 14. Thus the table leaf 20 is supported in the raised position shown in Fig. 4 in a plane parallel with the top of the table proper 14.

Means are provided for rotating support bar 40 into its operative position as seen in Fig. 4 when table leaf 20 is withdrawn rightwardly from its position seen in Fig. 3. In the present illustration such means include an elongated flexible member indicated generally at 48 which may desirably take the form of a linked chain or the like. One end 50 of the chain 48 is attached by suitable fastening means 52 to the lower surface of table leaf 20. The other end 54 of the chain 48 is fastened to the support bar 40, and desirably the two ends, 50 and 54, of the chain 48 are in longitudinal alignment and an upwardly directed groove 49 is formed in end rail 18 in alignment with chain 48 to facilitate the chains movement.

Comparison of Figs. 3 and 4 will illustrate the operation of the parts thus far described. Since the support arms 24 and 26 are slidable within the grooves 30, 36, 32 and 38 the table leaf 20 may be moved rightwardly from its position as seen in Fig. 3, the support arms sliding in their respective grooves or channels. As soon as the inner edge 56 of table leaf 20 has cleared the outer edge 58 of table top 14', the support bar 40 is caused to rotate through a 90 arc clockwise by reason of force exerted thereupon through the chain 48. Thus the support bar 40 assumes the position shown in Fig. 4 and in doingso raises the support arms 24 and 26 upwardly and the table leaf 20 and associated parts assume their position shown in Fig. 4.

Self-engageable, manually releasable means are provided for locking the support bar 40 in its raised or upper position as shown in Fig. 4. The locking means, indicated generally at 60, are best seen in the enlarged fragmentary representation of Fig. 5. In that figure the support bar 40 together with the locking means is shown in dotted outline in position just prior to movement into locked position, and in full lines in fully locked position. Locking means 60 includes an outwardly projecting resilient strap or arm 61 fastened to the face 44 of support bar 40 opposite face 42 by suitable fastennig means such as screws 63. At the outer end of resilient arm 61 there is provided a pair of parallel cars 62 and 64 extending substantially perpendicularly to the resilient arm 61. A roller 66'is rotatably carried on suitable shaft means journalled onears 62 and 64 for rotation about a horizontal axis.

Examination of Fig. will show the operation of the locking means 60. As the table leaf 20, being withdrawn rightwardly from its position shown in Fig. 3, approaches the outermost limit of its travel, chain 48 acts to rotate support bar 40 upwardly from its position of Fig. 3. At one point in such upward rotation the support bar 40 and locking means carried thereon will assume the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 5, the roller 66 being received in upwardly directed groove 68 formed in end rail 18. Slight further rightward movement of table leaf 2t) and consequently of chain 48 will cause support bar 40 and its attached locking means 60 to move over the right edge of groove 68 and into the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 5. It will be recalled that arm or strap 61 is resilient, being desirably made of thin metal pretensioned to assume a straight position, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 5. It will be understood, in view of the resiliency of arm 61, that final movement of the parts shown in Fig. 5 into locking position forces roller 66 over the edge of the groove 68 and downwardly into abutting contact with the side wall 70 of end rail 18. The roller 66 is maintained in clamping contact with the side wall 70 by reason of the resiliency of arm 61.

It will be observed, by reference to Fig. 5, that the locking means 60 constitutes in effect a U-shaped clamp for resiliently grasping the end rail 18 when the parts are in locked position. Thus the base of the U is the resilient strap 61; one arm of the U is the support bar 40 itself; and the other arm is made up of the cars 62 and 64 projecting anguiarly from the plane of strap 61 and roller 66 carried by the ears.

When it is desired to return the leaf to its normal, compact or unextended position, the support bar 40 is first released from its upper position in which it is held by the locking means 60 heretofore described. This is accompiished by digitally or manually forcing the roller 66 upwardly against the resiliency of strap 61, so that the roller, strap and support bar 40 assume the positions shown in dotted outline in Fig. 5. As is evident, chain 48 will tend to become taut by reason of this partial rotation of bar 40. The support arms 24 and 26, together with their attached table leaf 20, will be lowered as the support bar descends until the support bar falls away to its lowermost position as seen in Fig. 3. The support arms 24 and 26 will by now rest upon end rail 18 and transverse member 34, being received in the grooves 30, 32, 36 and 38 heretofore described, and the leaf and its support arms may be manually slid inwardly to their compact position as shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that chain 48 will drape itself in the position of Fig. 3, having been drawn through the upwardly facing groove 49 formed in end rail 18 in longitudinal alignment with the points of attachment of the ends of chain 48.

Although the end edge 58 of table top 14 and the abuttable edge 56 of table leaf 20 are both here illustratively shown to be rectilinear, nevertheless it will be readily understood that they may be of any desired shape. For example, the edge of the table may be convex in outline and in such case the complementary edge of the table leaf would of course be concave.

Although not described in detail, it will be understood that a conventional table embodying my invention will normally be provided with two oppositely extensible leaves. In the present illustration the second leaf is shown at 22 and its support arms at 241 and 26, and the mechanisms associated therewith are similar to, the corresponding mechanisms described and shown in conjunction with leaf 20 and its support arms 24 and 26.

Accordingly it will be seen that I have provided a novel and efifective construction for a sliding table leaf carried by a table. It is especially to be noted that the component parts of the construction herein disclosed and described are inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. Moreover, operation of the construction is not dependent upon accurately maintained tolerances or alignments which, as is well known, add considerably to the cost of manufacture of prior sliding leaf mechanisms.

Modifications and changes in addition to those men tioned heretofore will readily occur to those skilled in the art. All such modifications and changes not departing from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an extensible leaf table having a flat top and a leaf provided with inwardly extending horizontal support arms and movable from a lower inoperative position beneath a marginal area of the top to an upper operative position extending outwardly from the top and coplanar therewith, support means to raise and lock the leaf in upper position comprising: a transverse member fixed to the top and spaced therebelow, and having an outwardly directed fiat virtually vertical portion; a support bar parallel to said member and pivotally connected thereto about a horizontal axis spaced inwardly from said flat portion, the bar being swingable through a right angle from a lower inoperative position to an upper operative position wherein the bar abuts upwardly against and supports the arms of the leaf in upper position; and manually releasable locking means including an elongated resilient strap fastened at one end to the support bar distant from said axis and extending outwardly therefrom when the bar is in upper position, and a contact member carried by the other end of the strap and spaced therebelow, the contact member being engageable with said fiat portion when the parts are in their operative position with the strap extending horizontally across the top of the transverse member.

2. The invention as stated in claim 1 including flexible connecting means extending between the leaf and the support bar and overlying the transverse member to rotate the support bar into upper position when the leaf is manually movcd outwardly and approaches its outer limit of travel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,618,126 Himmelwright Feb. 15, 1927 1,736,553 Irwin et al Nov. 19, 1929 1,923,281 Smith Aug. 22, 1933 1,938,893 Cooper Dec. 12, 1933 2,017,760 Lanum Oct. 15, 1935 2,017,785 Conwell Oct. 15, 1935 2,084,786 Yow June 22, 1937 2,156,044 Siev Apr. 25, 1939 2,468,528 Viehmann Apr. 26, 1949 2,583,282 Virtue Jan. 22, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 235,065 Germany Aug. 21, 1910 

